Waun Fach and chums via the Dragon's Back March 13

We've driven past the Dragon's Back a number of times (the nickname for the undulating ridge leading up Waun Fach) and Mike had his eye on it for quite a while. I'd done it before and really struggled up it, but that was years ago so I was hoping it would be easier this time. We'd had some debate about the route - me in my usual thoughtless style was suggesting a ridiculous route. We ended up agreeing we'd plan the route as we went depending on time once we'd reach the top.

We parked at the Castle Inn - there is a small fee but it goes to Mountain Rescue. The route heads straight up a steep field to Castell Dinas - this is a worthy walk in itself if you are out with children and fancy a bit of history. -it's possibly of Norman origin.

You can see the rest of the humps of the Dragon's back in this photo



King of the Castell!





Mike insisted on going over every hump in the Dragons back rather than around them. As we started up the humps we saw a couple who'd skirted out the edge of the farthest one, we commented that they weren't doing a true Dragon's Back, but soon realised why as why climbed higher the wind really picked up and was whistling over the ridge (I love the wind when it whistles) Thankfully like every other ridge in the Brecon Beacons it's not a very narrow one and the wind was strong enough to be fun, but not enough to blow us off it.



As we climbed higher it became very cold, the wind chill factor was high and the ground covered in ice. It wasn't long till we have ice rime on our clothes. The forecast had been fairly reasonable not forcasting winds as strong as we were experiencing. I was glad I had my thermals on!





The top of Waun Fach is a bit of an anti climax after the exciting ridge. It had been so long since we'd been there I wasn't even sure if we were at it or not! We checked the map though and confirmed we were.





 We took a bearing for our next top as viability was nil & it was off to Pen Y Gadair Fawr which has a nice humpy top which looks like a nipple from a distance! Our stomachs for starting to grumble so we were on the hunt for a lunch stop - there isn't much in the way of shelter on Waun Fach. We were going to get the survival tent out, but came upon a rather nice peat hag which blocked the wind from all directions. We didn't stop for long and soon reached the top of Pen Y Gadair Fawr having found the correct path skirting the woodlands (it all gets a bit confusing up there as the paths aren't especially clear and some of the woodland has been felled). We had no views from the top, which was exactly how it was last time I was up there. The sheer volume of times I have viewed this top out of cloud from a distance, I must just be unlucky!



We weren't planning on continuing to the next top, but it was still really early so we decided to carry on to Pen Twyn Mawr and decide on our route on from there. The viability finally cleared and it was nice to have a semblance of a view at last!



Still chilly on Pen Twyn Mawr


We then contoured round the side of the hill to head towards the top of the forestry in the valley below, we did this so not to repeat our route along the top and also to not lose too much of the height we had gained. We passed some wild ponies en route. It was a lovely desolate little valley.


Whilst walking off path we found this bottle. I thought it was just rubbish and try to pick up any I find on mountains, it was not till I got home I realised it must be a old bottle maybe from the 30's or 40's perhaps.



We hadn't noted on the map there was a standing stone so it was a nice surprise on our route down - it is named as Maen Llwyd on the map. As we reached the valley bottom we crossed the Grwyne Fechan river.



As time was on our side we decided to go up Mynydd Llysiau - we had two options take the bridleway which would have taken us beyond the top and would require a walk back or head straight up the steed side of the hill. As time was not on our side we decided straight up would be quicker.

Behind us you can see where we descended from


Straight up it we went pretty much without stopping, my fear of heights kicked in near the top and I felt unable to stop so got to the top very out of breath not far behind Mike. I was chuffed I'd made it up without too much of a struggle as steep slopes and asthma always make these things harder.



At the top - as we reached the top we passed a walk who'd not seen us come over the lip, he must have wondered why we were all red in the face and out of breath on such a flat path!


It's always windier over this side, and yet again it was much windier than it had been on Waun Fach despite it being lower. We got a bit of a blasting as we walked along to our path down. The sun did finally come out - I'd quite like a walk of sun all day please!





My fave photo of the day






Dragon's back in the evening sun


It was good to have such an interesting and varied walk in the Black Mountains, I really enjoy walking off path and discovering places and things which would not always be seen. An unconventional route can sometimes work out okay!